Small-caliber gun



Spt. s. I 1925.

N. E. METHLIN sMAL'L CALIBER GUN Filed April 4 1925 Sept 8, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN -SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 Se t. 8 1:125.

1,552,863 N. E. METHLIN SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 14 Sheets-Sheet s Sept. 8, 1 925. 1,552,863

N. E. METHLIN SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 14 sheet's-sht 4- Sept. 8, 1925;

- N. E. METHLIN V SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4. 1925 SBPLB, 192s. 4

. 1,552,863 N. E, METHLIN sunk. CALIBER. GUN

Filed-@1114. 1925 14 Shee'ts-Sheet a Sept. 8. 1925.

N. E. METHLIN I SHALL CALIBER GUN z-fne'a'a ni 4, 1925 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 Sept. 8, 1925.

' N. E. METHLIN SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed Apt-11 4. 1925 i 14 sheets-sheet 1o Sepig. 8. 1925.

' N. E. METHLIN SMALL OALIIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 14 Sheets-Sheet 11. Fig .19.

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1/11/1111. 111l1l11111111l/l111111111I/IIIIII/IIII/ IllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII g e w 2' Sept. 8 1925- I 1,552,863 N. E. METHLIN SIALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 15 sheets-sheet 12 'ZIIII 14' Sheets-Sheet 1s N. E. M ETHLIN SMALL CALIBER GUN 4 WM HF aw mh a hw Q X W Filed April 4, 1925 Sept. 8. 1925.

Sept. 8, 1925.

N. E. METHLIN SMALL CALIBER GUN Filed April 4, 1925 14 Shee't's-Shet l4 "Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES meme PATENT OFFICE.

EMILIEN mnrnnm, or rams, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR "r scnna'rnnn a cm, or

rams, manner, a LIMITED comm s'rocx comramz or rnAncE.

samba-census. GUN.

Application filed April 4, 1925. Serial No. 20,817.

vented new'and useful Improvements in or Relating to Small-Caliber Guns, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for, automatically loading small caliber guns. The apparatus, which is actuated by the re- 1 coil'and running out of the gun, is characterized essentiallyby the fact that it comprises a sort of endless conveyor or chain of buckets or troughs which is in continuous motion, and is arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the gun and above the latter so that the troughs on the underside of the conveyor form housings, each one receiving automatically, as it passes over a section of the loading member or magazine,

one of the projectiles contained in this section, and carries it over an automatic distributor which is also .actuated by the alternate recoil and running out of the gun, the said" distributor bringing the projectile into line with the bore of'the gun and the ramming breech block, for it to be rammed in the known manner into the bore of the gun.

In addition to this essentially characteristic device, the apparatus comprises various other special features which will be hereinafter described, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.which show one specialform of construction of the invention applied .to an arrangement of conjugated gun barrels in which the recoil of one of the two. barrels always causes the other one to. run outand vice versa.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 in the accompanying drawings are general arrangement views of the apparatus fittedto an arrangement of conjugated gun barrels.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation-taken alongthe line 11 in Figure2, which is a sectional elevation taken along vertical pliines parallel to the axis of the gun barre s.-

Figure .2 is a cross sectional elevation taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1, that is to say, partly through the conveyor, the

loading member or magazine and the distributor.

Figure 3 is a plan view. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a de tail, to a larger scale, taken along the line 14 in Figure 2, through the conveyor and a section of the magazine, this section showing the device for automatically feeding the conveyor.

Figure 5 i taken along the line 5-5 in Figure/1.

Figure 6 is a plan section taken along the line 66 in Figure 4.

part taken along s a sectional elevation of a part Figure 7-is a plan section taken along the 12- 12 in Figure 13, which is itsel a section taken along the line 13-13 in Figure.12.

Figure 14 is a section of a part, analogous to that shown in Figure 13, showing the members in a different position; Figure 15 is asectional elevation of a part, taken along a plane parallel to that of Figure 12, showing the members-which'actuate the distributor," and a pro'ectile in position upon the receiving jaws efore being sent down the channel which carries it to the loading trays 01' plates. a

Figure 16 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 16-16 in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a detail showing a new projectile being carried on to the loading plates and on the point of engaging with the ramming breech block; the same fi re shows a spent cartridge case secured to cramming breech 'block which is lockedin its extreme position parts, taken alon the lines 1919, 20-20,

21-21, 22-22 in ,igure' '17.

Figure 23 is a sectional elevation analogous to that shown in Figure 17 showing the members in another position; the projectile is shown in the position it occupies at the moment the movement for ramming it into the barrel of the gun commences.

Figure 24 is an analogous sectional elevation showing the projectile being rammed into the barrel, part of the projcctlle having already passed into the bore of the gun.

Figure 25 is a corresponding plan section taken along the line 25-25 in Figure 24.

Figure 26 is a detail view partly in section illustrating one manner in which the recoiling gun barrels may be operatively connected to the motion transmitting means for the cartridge conveyor.

In the general arrangement Figures 1 to 3, A is a gun carriage of any:known type. A central pivot gun carriage which turns, in the known manner, on a platform A, has been shown in the example illustrated. B is the cradle of the gun carriage, which pivots, by means of trunnions b, in the frame plates of the gun carriage A, the elevating and lowering of the gun being carried out by means of a known elevatingw mechanism which it is not necessary to describe.

. For the purpose of description the invention has been assumed to be applied to two conjugated gun barrels C, D carried upon the same cradle B, the guns being so conjugatedthat the recoil of one of the barrels C causes the other barrel D to run out, the recoil of D conversely causing C-to run out. The barrels may for example be conjugated in a manner disclosed in my application Serial No. 429, filed January 3, 1925, allowed May 25, 1925.

The loading apparatus is placed in an outer cover or casing E fixed to the cradle B; this apparatus comprises, in conformity to the invention, an endless conveyor or chain. of buckets or troughs the continuous movement of which is actuated by the alternate recoil and running out of the two conugated gun barrels. The endless conveyor comprises two shafts F, F turning in the outer casing E, each shaft being provided with a pair of pinions- (f, 7 respectively) for carrying two endless chains. Each of the links 'F of one of the chains is connected to the corresp onding link of the other parallel chain by cross members f. Upon each pair of cross stays f slides a bucket or trough G. The troughs of the conveyor actually form caps or holders for carrying the pro ectile along. The fact of the troughs being able to slide along the cross stays f enables as will be shown hereinafter, the pro ectiles to be. displaced in the direction of their length while the movement of translat1on of the loader towards the distributor is taking place. Each trough or holder G consists of a sort of incomplete sleeve,'provided at one of its-ends with-a semi-circular slot 9 in which engages the rim h of the cartridge case H (Figs. 13 and 15). One of the sliders 9 g with which the holder G is provided for guiding it on the cross stays f, is provided with a pin'on which is mounted a roller g which engages permanently with a fixed guide E formed upon the outer casing E; this guide serves as a guiding track for the trough shaped holders G' during their longitudinal displacement when they thus move in the direction of their length by sliding along the cross stays f during the translational movement of the chain.

Below the underside of the conveyor, the casing E is formed so as to receive, by hooking, a series of loading members or magazine sections, each one containing a number of projectiles superposed on each other. The magazine section comprises for example, a

channel I forming an arc of a circle and.

provided with a handle P; the lower part of this channel is closed by a bottom plate 11 in which is formed a slot 2' which engages with one of the spring locking devices 6 provided upon the casing E- (Figs. 4 and 7 the upper part of each magazine section I is also provided with a flange i by means of which it engages behind the hook of a spring catch e (Fig. 6). This catch is pivoted, in the case of one of the chambers containing the magazine sections, to the wall of the 'casing E; for the other sections, it is pivoted to the dividing walls E neath each pile of projectiles is provided a plate J, attached to a shoe J guided by the rollers i in grooves e forming circular arcs provided upon the casin E, and upon the dividing walls E; each plate is normally held in its lowest position, as shown in Figure 4, by a spring bolt J 2 withwhich it is provided, beneath a boss E formed upon the wall of the casing E or upon the dividing walls E 'When the magazine section I is hooked upon the locking device 6 the spring bolt J is pushed back and its end escapes from beneaththe corresponding boss E The plates are thus released so that they can move upwards at the desired moment, as described hereinafter, for the different projectiles in each pile to engage in the consecutive trough shaped holders of the endless conveyor.

At the upper end of each section or channel 'I, is also provided a spring catch 2' which forms normally, under the action of its spring, a retaining means for the rim of the case of' the projectile at the top ofthe pile. When the cartridge holder or channel I is hooked upon the casing E, the catch i presses against a flange e on the casing E, which forces it back and compresses its spring, so that the catch then Be- V 11) guided, on the casing E or on the wall' E the rod K is pivoted to one of the ends of a link K, the other end of which is pivoted to the casing E or to the wall E The small link K is provided with a projectlon is (Fig. 4) against which presses an angle cleat 9" provided beneath each plate J Each'of the plates, J, J guided,-by its rollers 1' upon the slideway e, also engages,

by means of a fork provided upon its shoe J with a roller m the spindle of which is carried by a tubular slider M, which slides on a shaft L and is acted upon by a spring m which continually tends to force it upwards. Each shaft L turns in bearings L, L carried by or provided upon the casing E, and receives its'continuous movement of rotation from a bevel pinion L The latter is driven by a pinion L carried by a shaft 'L kinematically connected, by means of a pinion L to a bevel pinion f carried by the shaft F of the endless conveyor. The upper part of each of the shafts L isprovided with a helical groove L for effecting the descent of the slider M, after the latter, by moving upwards and carrying with it the corresponding plate J has emptied thecorrespending magazine section I. The slider M will, for this purpose, be provided with a spring stud M the end of which is guided in a slideway E provided on the casing E (Figs. 4 and 5).

j The projectiles are automatically transferred from the magazine to the distributor,

' which will be hereinafter described, in the following manner The magazine sections I are hooked upon the casing E and to the dividing walls E and, as mentioned above, this engagement between the flanged edges 11 and the catch 6 on the one hand and between the slot 21 and the locking device 0 on the other hand, ef-

fects the withdrawal of the catches i which held the 'rim' of the case of the projectile at the top of each pile, and also the spring bolts. J to be compressed, and as a consequence the several plates J to be released. The latter, however, will only beable to rise in turn, under the action of each spring'm upon the corresponding slider M. When the gunis put into action, the extreme right hand slider is disengaged (Fig. 5), that is to say, the slider shown at the top in Figure 6 which was previously secured by means of the arm n of a spring catch N. At the lower end of the catch Nis provided a second arm of a rod N sliding in the casing E, by the pressure of the spring N If this rod is pushed in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 6), the catch N is made to turn about its axis, and the arm n is withdrawn and thus releases the slider against which it pressed, The slider may then move upwards under. the pressure of the spring m drawing with it the corresponding plate J-J. As soon as the slider commences to move up, the projectile at the top of the corresponding section I lifts the covers K; this lifting is made possible by the rising of j, which enables the boss is to follow the movement. The top projectile then en ages in one of the trough shaped holders G of the conveyor, and is carried along, by being rolled upon the cover plates of the adjoining magazine chambers. The latter cannot empty themselves on ac-' count of the fact that the corresponding sliders M are each held in their lowest positions, by a spring catch 0.

When it rises, by the rollers sliding in the guides e the first plate on the right arrives at a point in its upward travel when the lowest projectile of the pile has engaged in the trough shaped holder which receives it as it passes over the top of that section. A projecting boss on on the corresponding slider M then meets an inclined plane 0, protion from the chamber containing the adjacent section. By climbing up the incline o the boss 'm, causes the rod O to turn and, consequently, the catch 0 also, which recured. so that this slider may in its turn, be forced up by its corresponding spring, and continue to feed the conveyor from the pile of projectiles contained in the corresponding section of the magazine. At the same time, the first slider M having reached the top of its travel, the spring stud M slips out of the guide channel E and its spring forces its other end into the helical groove L", on thecorresponding shaft L. The continuous rotation of this shaft, obtained as described above, effects the downward. travel of the slider M. When the latter has reached a slightly lower position; than the one shown in Figure 4, the end of the spring stud mounts the slope L provided at the point at whichithe helical groove L" commences, and this forces it back and causes it to engage again in the guide channel-E At the same moment, the right hand slider M hooks itself again under the catch a. It

is necessary to add that before the slider .M. I

of its travel. releases, by means of an in leases the slider M, which it previously sel tion of the series which secures laterally, until this moment,

the corresponding magazine section I. The

weight of this magazine section which has been emptied of its cartridges, causes it to swing by pivoting about the point at which it engages with the locking device e, and it is thus ejected. The corresponding chamber of the casing isthen ready to receive a duplicate section, while the adjacent magazine sections continued to feed the conveyor.

When a plate J -J, after the emptying of the cartridge carrying section, has returned, as has been seen, to the bottom of its travel, the projection y" encounters the boss upon the small link K which causes a downward movement of the rod K and consequent upon this, the cover plates or arms K, for securing the cartridges in the chambers are lowered and brought into the desired position in order to retain the projectile at the top of that magazine section which has just been attached to the outer casing E.

The second and the third magazine sections are emptied in the same manner as the first one; the fourth or last magazine sec- (left hand section in Fig. 5), will in its turn be emptied by the action of the corresponding tubular slider M. It will be noted that the corresponding rod 0 of the spring catch 0 -0 is shorter than the precedmg ones, in order that it will be struck by the corresponding boss m of the slider M before this slider has reached the top of its travel, which causes the corresponding catch 12. to turn so that it will be moved out of the way, and automatically pushes the rod N in order to release the first right hand slider. The boss m", as shown in the partial section in Figure 5, is provided with two planes inclined in opposite directions, as is the corresponding catch 0, so that I the latter will be automatically moved out of the way, during both the upward travel and the downward travel of the slider.

The projectiles carried along by the conveyor reach in turn the stops E, E (Figs. 12 to 15), which prevent the'projectiles from travelling any further with the conveyor, the corresponding holders or troughs G passing freely by these stops, due to the gaps 9*, 9 provided on the holder (Figs. 4 and 12). Thus stopped the projectile falls upon receiving arms P, which are normally held raised by a torsion spring coiled round their pivoting shaft, which turns in the casing E. a

By rolling on to these arms P, the rim h of the cartridge case being at the same time guidedin a ioove 12 formed on the right hand arm Fig. 12), the projectile falls on to receiving jaws Q turning upon shafts q carried by the casing E. These jaws are normally held in the closed position shown in Figures 12, 13, 15 and 16 by spring buifers Q}. The said jaws form a part of the distributor, by means of WlllCh the projectiles are alternately distributed to the right hand barrel and to the left hand of one of the arms R of a swinging lever R 4 which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 6 carried upon the casing E. The arm R of the said swinging lever ,is provided at its free end, with a roller 1", which is guided in a cam groove f formed in a plate F keyed upon an extension of the shaft F of the endless conveyor; the continuous movement of rotation of the shaft F is thus transmitted, by means of the swinging lever RR "as an oscillating movement to the shaft R and the arm R which are mounted on the latter.

In this way these arms move alternately from 'the position shown in full lines in Figure 16 to that shown in dot-and-dash lines in the same figure. In this movement, they carry with them the projectile which has been placed upon the pivoted jaws Q, which 0 en as shown in Figure 14, the weight 0 the projectile causing one of them to compress the corres nding spring buffer; in passing, the pro ectiles also push back the receiving arms P, which are then returned into their original position by the torsion spring at their hinges; the jaws which have opened are immediately returned into position for receiving another projectile (Fig. 13) by the corresponding spring buffer Q The projectiles, released alternately into the supply channels E, E formed in the casing E, are guided on to spoon shaped loading members or plates S which are pivotally mounted on a frame S (Figs. 17 18 and 19) which'is guided on the frame plates of the cradle B, as is more particularly shown in Figure 18. The projectile upon reaching the loading plates S, is gripped by the spring buffers s lodged in the support of these plates and as the projectile passes to fall on to the loading plates it pushes the bufiers back out of the way. It is also carried bv the arms S which consist of prongs of a" forked member, pivoted, by means of a shaft 8 provided with a. torsion spring, to the frame S The said frame is given an alternating upwardand downward movement by a gear which is brought into lay when the gun runs out. The frame 1 is I connected, for this purpose, .by means of this plate pulls down the spindle of a roller S.

a stud S, to one of the arms S of a-swinging lever S--S (Figs. 17 and 21) pivoting about a shaft 8 carried by thecradle B, the other arms S of which lever is provided with a roller 8 which engages in a cam groove 8", formed in a plate S, keyed to a shaft S turning in the cradle. Upon S", is also formed a guide channel s in which a pin C projecting from the corresponding barrel 0 engages.

I When the right hand gun is at the end of its recoil, the members occupy theposition shown in full lines in Figures 17 and l1)8;kthe breech block 0 which has carried ac i ping in its retaining groove 0 the spe n t tase H, has become hooked behind a boss B of the cradle/B, by means of the spring locking device C provided for example on the shaft C of the running out recuperator.

The gun runs out, or returns to battery, while the breech block is held back. Towards the end of this movement, which takes place during therecoil of the conjugated gun barrel, the cylindrical boss C engages in the groove 8" upon the disc S, which causes the latter to turn on its shaft S and the roller 8 and consequently the swinging lever S-S to be actuated by the cam groove 8 The,

arm S of this swinging lever, as it descends stud S, by means of a slot 8, and thus causes the frame S to move down.

During this downward movement, the forked member S ejects the spent case H. At the end of the downward travel of the frame S a fresh projectile is brought into the position shown in Figure 23, the axis of the projectile being in line with the axis of the gun, and the rim h of the case H being held in the groove 0 At .the same time, a rod S pivoted to the cradle and provided with a roller s which engages in the groove s in the disc S, turns about its ivoting axis and is brought into the positlon shown in Fig. 23, pulling with it through the pivotal connection 8 a rod S, which actuates a lever S keyed to a shaft S, which turns in the eradle B, and which is also provided with an arm S By means of this arm the locking device 0 which holds back the breech block is released, and the breech block can then be run out by the recuperator, and ram the projectile into the bore of the gun barrel.

As it moves towards the gun barrel, the breech block moves back the loadin plates S, which ivot about the axis oftheir trunnions in t 1e frame 8. The upper trunnions of the two loading plates are coupled toether by a rod S and two small links 8? eyed to these trunnions, and this enables them to be withdrawn simultaneously. Uponan extension of the rod S is provided the When the-frame S moves down the roller S moves along avertical guide B provided upon the cradle B. When the loading plates are pushed back into the position shown in Figures 24 and 25,

the roller 5 makes contact with the lower The breech block completes its running V out movement, in the known manner, as soon as the arm C has brou ht the pawl S and the disk S back into t e position shown in Figure 17. As soon as the breech is closed the cap fired in the known-manner; the conjugated barrel has then completely recoiled, its breech block being looked upon the cradle, by means of thecorrespondlng locking device C.

Upon its recoil, the breech block carries the empty case H into the position-shown in Figure 17, and the cycle of operations, has been described above, recommences.

Any suitable device may be made use of to rotate the conveyor of the loading'appa ratus continuously.

In order to translate the reciprocating motion of the conjugated barrels into a continuous rotation of the shaft F of the conveyor, use may be made, for example, of the device described and illustrated in application Serial No. 429, hereinbefore referred to.

Figures 1 to. 5 simply shown a shaft-'T turning in the cradle of the gun carriage, and rovided with helical grooves t and -t whici are actuated successively by first one and then the other of the conjugated barrels, by means of sleeves U each provided with a tenon a engaging in a corresponding groove. Each of these sleeves alternately turns in a boss C attached to the corresponding barrel, andis locked to this boss.

lVhen one of the barrels runs out, the groove t is. actuated by the tenonu of the sleeve U, which is locked to this barrel,and causes the pinion to rotate.

When the same barrelrecoils, is released and no longer actuates the rotation of the pinion, but, during the'same time, the running out of the'othe'r barrel ensures, through the actuation of the grooves t the continuity of rotation of the pinion motion of which is transmitted, through the pinions W and W to the pinion f keyed to the shaft F of the conveyor.

of the cartridge is automatically which V the the sleeve U Having now particularly described and 1. Loading apparatus for guns compristiles from said members and for moving the shaft and having recoil and running out of the projectiles into alinement with the bores of said guns, and means actuated by the recoil and running out of the guns for operating said distributor.

2. Loading apparatus for guns comprising a casing, an endless conveyor therein including a pair of chains, cross stays connecting the links of one chain to the links of the other, and troughs supported by said stays and slidable thereon, shafts rotatably mounted in the casing, movable cover plates operatively connected to said shafts, magazine sections in said casing, said cover plates being adapted to move projectiles from said sections into said troughs, and means operatively connected to said conveyor and shafts and to said guns for employing the energy ofrecoil in running out of the guns to actuate the conveyor and said cover plates.

3. Loading apparatus for guns com'pris mg a casing, a conveyor therein, a mega zine including a. plurality of removable sections associated with said conveyor: and

containing. projectiles superposed on each other, means for attachin said sections .to sald casing, cover and gui e plates for said sections, means for actuating said guide plates including a shaft having a helical groove therein, a slider-mounted on the operative engagement with said plates, resilient means for moving said slider in one direction on the shaft, means for rotating the shaft, and means carried by the slider and having engagement with said groove for returning the slider and cover plates 'to normal position.

4. Loading apparatus for guns of the type that is automatically actuated by the us, comprising a casing, a plurality 0 magazine sections removably mounted in the casing, plates operatively mounted in the casing for supporting projectiles in the magazine sections, means normally locking said plates against movement, and catches engaging the top projectile in each of said sections, the insertion of the sections in saidcasing serving to disengage the plate locking means a and said catches.

for moving said projectiles out of said sec- Y cured to said shafts and normally tions including a plurality of sliders mmably mounted in the casing, means normally retaining said sliders against movement, manual means for releasing one of said sliders, means actuated by the manually released slider for releasing the remaining sliders in succession, the slider last released being adapted to automatically release the manually released slider.

6. Loading apparatus of the class described comprising a casing, a plurality of magazine sections therein, pro ectile moving plates for said sections, means for moving said plates, a plurality of shafts in the casing, cover plates for said sections sepreventing movement of the projectiles 1n the sections, and means operatively connected to said shafts and said projectile moving plates for returning the cover plates to normal positionafter the same have been rotated by movement of projectiles out of mid sections.

7. Loading apparatus of the class described comprising a casing, a plurality of magazine sections removably mounted therein, means normally locking said sections in the casing, said sections being adapted to fall away from the casing when released.-

m'ovable plates for said sections adapted to engage said means, means for moving Sflld plates to eject projectiles from the sections and to engage said first named means, the

vided for automaticallyloading projectiles into said barrels, the combination with said barrels of an endless conveyor, a casin therefor, means connected to said barre s and conveyor for-actuating the latter, projectile troughs operatively secured to the conveyor, stops. for remoying projectiles from said troughs, spring aws for receiv:

ing the projectiles releasin arms for guid-. ing the projectiles from the troughs to said spring jaws, means for moving projectlles from said jaws to a point above the longitudinal axes of said barrels, a frame movably mounted on the casing, means for moving said frame, loading members mounted on the frame and adapted to receive projectiles from said jaws, and means secured to the frame for ejecting spent cases. i

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination with a pair of conjugated guns, an endless conveyor mounted. above said guns, means operatively connected with said conveyor and guns for em ploying the energy of recoil and running out of the latter to continuously actuate said 

